Autumn isn't over yet: 4 out-of-the-box late-season leaf-peeping ideas
Think it's too late to see striking, colorful fall foliage this year? Think again! Try these unconventional foliage destinations.
Bigtooth Maple trees with vibrant fall colors in the West Fork of Oak Creek Canyon near Sedona, Arizona.
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When you think of traveling to see fall foliage, you're usually picturing pristine autumn colors in New England and Colorado.
Those places are well past their peak leaf-peeping season, but that doesn't mean you don't still have options to see some great fall foliage in November.
(MORE: Fall foliage maps tracker: Current status in your region)
Here are four unconventional fall foliage destinations that are peaking in November.
California wine country
Vineyards in Sonoma County Develop beautiful autumn colors each October and November.
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Once the grape harvest concludes, the vineyard leaves turn brilliant shades of gold, brass and crimson. This stunning valley display usually reaches its peak in early to mid-November, pairing perfectly with wine tastings and thinned-out crowds.
Desert canyons
Leaf-peeping in the desert offers a striking contrast: blindingly bright, neon-yellow cottonwood leaves set against towering, 1,000-foot walls of deep-red sandstone. Because desert canyons are deeply sheltered, these hidden riparian oases hold their colors significantly longer than mountain forests, stretching well into November.
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Sunset at Watchman peak along the Virgin river in Zion National Park, Utah
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Walking along a desert creek surrounded by gold and red is an ethereal experience. Zion National Park’s canyon floor in Utah, the towering walls of Canyon de Chelly in Arizona or Sedona's Oak Creek Canyon Arizona — these places are just hitting their peaks now through mid-November.
Southern cypress swamps
For a mysterious, atmospheric autumn, head into the bayous, like Caddo Lake on the Texas/Louisiana border or the Atchafalaya Basin in Louisiana. Bald cypress trees are unique conifers — they have soft, feathery needles that turn a rich, glowing burnt orange and rusty cinnamon copper before dropping for the winter.
A giant tree with red leaves and Spanish moss standing in foggy water at the bald cypress swamp of Caddo Lake on the border between Louisiana and Texas.
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Seeing these massive, moss-draped trunks reflecting off completely still swamp water is pure magic, peaking in mid-to-late November. The best way to "leaf peep" here is from a kayak or a guided flat-bottom boat, weaving through the glowing orange maze of ancient trees.
Urban Japanese gardens
Beautiful autumn colors of red Japanese maple trees with a little girl on bridge over pond, Tokyo
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Japanese gardens offer a highly curated, artistic and intimate approach to autumn. Maples are meticulously pruned over decades to framing-perfection, resulting in exploding architectural pockets of absolute blood-red and gold that peak beautifully in late November and December.
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